THE District which is now known as PONTIAN, was called KUKUP or KUKUB with its administrative center located somewhere near the present harbour/jetty in Kukup Laut.
IN those ancient time, the West Coast of Johor, from Kukup to Benut was the stop and rest place of the sea pirates based in the Straits of Kukup. They stationed and based at the river mouths of the Perhentian Besar River, and the Perhentian Kechil River. (In Malay "Perhentian" means Stopping Place (Mooring Place), "Besar" means big, "Kechil" means small, and "Sungai" means river.) These two rivers were then called the Pontian Besar River (Sungai Pontian Besar) and Pontian Kechil River (Sungai Pontian Kechil). Thus it was obvious that the name PONTIAN, came from the Malay word Perhentian meaning the Stoping Place (mooring place).
QUOTED from the "Hikayat Abdullah Munsyi" written by Abdullah bin Abdul Kadir (The Legend of Abdullah Munsyi), The Straits of Kukup was then a shelter for the sea pirates and those travelled by the sea. When the Straits of Malacca outside was rough by strong waves and winds, the Straits of Kukup would still be very calm and safe. Hence those who travelled by sea and met the strong wind and waves, and wanted to seek shelter would come inside here to meet their fate of being robbed and caught by the sea pirates.
BECAUSE of such sequencce, people called this place Telukup (Malay word meaning overturn), since their boats would be overturned by the pirates if met. Another legend said that the Malacca people, trying to flee to the then British Colony of Singapore because could not tolerate the Dutch's ruling from 1819 to 1824, using the sea route via Kukup. Because they were afraid of such place, they called here Telutup. Later the name was changed to Kukub and then Kukup, the present name.
IT was said that the sea pirates were then demolished by Daing Ibrahim a native Bugis who was the Johor
